The New York Giants received the news they were expecting Sunday when veteran tight end Darren Waller decided to retire at the age of 31. The Giants acquired Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders prior to the 2023 season with the hope that he could give them a significant upgrade for several seasons. That did not happen.
Waller played through an injury-plagued season with the Giants and was never at his best in 2023. He had been impacted by hamstring issues in his final years with the Raiders as well as the Giants.
Waller started in 11 of the 12 games he played for the Giants and caught 52 passes for 552 yards and one touchdown. The Giants were hoping that Waller would produce the way he had for the Raiders. He caught 107 passes for 1,196 yards and 9 touchdowns during the 2020 season.
Waller made his only Pro Bowl appearance that season. He played his college football for Georgia Tech, and the 6-6, 238-pound Waller was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the 6th round of the 2015 draft.
The Giants offered a statement of thanks to Waller for his contribution during his one season with the team. “We have great respect for Darren as a person and player. We wish him nothing but the best.”
Giants paid significant price to acquire Darren Waller
The Giants traded a third-round draft pick to the Raiders to bring Waller to New York. Waller would have received $10.5 million in salary during the 2024 season and the Giants are expecting salary cap relief of $11.6 million.
The decision by Waller was long expected as he did not participate in any of the team's offseason activities. The Giants have attempted to fill the void by selecting Theo Johnson of Penn State in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. In addition to the selection of Johnson, they also picked up a pair of veteran free agent tight ends in Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz.
The Giants are hoping to put an improved offensive team on the field in 2024 after struggling quite a bit last season. They are hoping that quarterback Daniel Jones is healthy throughout the season after he suffered a torn ACL in the team's Week 9 game against the Raiders. The Giants have added backup quarterback Drew Lock, but Jones combines a strong arm with notable athleticism and he needs to be in the lineup if the team is going to have a chance to win consistently.
New York drafted wide receiver Malik Nabers in the first round in an attempt to beef up the passing game. He will join starting wide receivers Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson as well as reserves Jalin Hyatt and Isaiah McKenzie.
The Giants will attempt to build a running game with former Houston Texan Devin Singletary as their primary running back. Former Giant Saquon Barkley left through free agency and signed with the archrival Philadelphia Eagles.
If Jones can stay healthy and Singletary does a solid job running the ball, it will make the retirement of Darren Waller easier to absorb.
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